Footwear for surgeons

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to footwear for surgeons and in particular a boot construction wherein the shank muscles of the operator are not subjected to stress, the ankle is well supported and the foot prevented from movement within its enclosure during those extended periods when the surgeon&#39;&#39;s body is bent forward.

O :11 I 1 Unite States Patent 5] 3, 9

Corvi 1 Mar. M, 11072 [54] FOOTWEAR FOR SURGEONS 2,113,255 5/1938 Loucks et al ..36/3 A [72] Inventor: Antonio Corvi,- Corso Garibaldi, 14, l648l01 l 1/1927 A.Schelm Fiorenzuloa DArda (pl-menu) my 3,266,178 8/1966 Gllkerson ..36/43 3,310,887 3/1967 Stokis ..36/3 R [22] Filed: June 3, 1970 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson [211 App! 43093 Altomey-Brufsky, Staas, Breiner & Halsey [30] Foreign Application Priority Data: [57] ABSTRACT Dec. 19, 1969 Italy ..42,292-A The present invention relates to footwear for surgeons and in particular a boot construction wherein the shank muscles of [52] U.S. Cl ..36/3 the operator are not subjected to stress, the ankle is well sup [51] Int. Cl. ..A43b 7/06 ported and the foot prevented from movement within its en- [58] Field oi Search ..36/3, 11.5,50, 43 closure during those extended periods when the surgeon's body is bent forward. [56] References Cited 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,205,753 6/1940 Svrlinga ..36/3 R FOOTWEAR FOR SURGEONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to footwear of the boot type designed to be worn by surgeons or their assistants when they are working in an operating room. These boots are intended to support the surgeons foot in the most rational way, as the surgeon must remain on his feet for long periods of time substantially motionless and frequently with his body bending forward towards the operating table.

Providing footwear for surgeons involves problems quite different from those present in the manufacture of ordinary footwear, wherein it is desired merely to enable a person to accomplish a deambulation, which, although swift, is made with the person s body standing substantially erect.

In footwear designed to be worn by a surgeon or the like, where there is practically no deambulation to be taken into consideration, it is only necessary that the footwear suit the position that the surgeon must maintain during his work, give a comfortable and stable bearing to the foot and be electrically insulated because of the numerous electrical instruments which are handled by the surgeon and his assistants.

Common shoes are not adapted for such a purpose since they are constructed to be used when the human body is substantially erect. In contrast, the surgeon must maintain his body bent forward. It follows, then, that if the surgeon wears ordinary shoes his feet lean against the floor by means of their fore portion only and the hind muscles of the surgeons legs remain under tension causing the surgeon to tireout more quickly while experiencing considerable numbness in the muscles. As a compromise, the surgeon usually wears large boots or even clogs. This does not solve the problem. Rather, the problem is only alleviated slightly. When the duty period in the operating room nears its end, the surgeon as well as his assistants are not only exhausted by the nervous strain of performing the operation, but their legs are numb and nearly ankylosed so that their task has become physically very difficult, especially during very long operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns footwear for surgeons and in particular a boot in which the foot can find its most rational bearing during the surgeons work so that his shank muscles, more particularly the gastrocnemius ones, are not under stress, the ankle is well supported and the foot cannot be subjected to any displacement. It is, of course, of vital importance that the operators body remains perfectly stable during the entire operation. Furthermore, the boot of this invention is provided with an electrically insulated sole. Also, an easily accessible opening is provided at the inner side of the boot avoiding the build-up of dangerous pressure when closing same. The boot further includes an inner soft insole which is designed to match the anatomical shape of the foot and support same comfortably in all places, means also being provided so as to prevent any forward sliding of the foot along the boot during the bent position of the surgeon during his work. The boot and its insole are also provided with aerating means maintaining the adjacent portions of the foot in the inside of the boot in the best possible condition so as to prevent or at least minimize perspiration which can adversely effect the working conditions of the operator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating the inner side of the left boot embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the lower part of the sole of the boot taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the inner insole removed from the boot; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The footwear of the present invention is constructed in the form of a boot comprising a body portion ll including at the top thereof portion In which is high enough to support the ankle tightly when the surgeon is standing with his body bent forward. Portion l is fixedly connected with sole 3 and heel 4, each being of a material sufficiently flexible and electrically insulated. On the inside of the boot, the portions I and la are lined with a material 2 which is soft but impermeable, for example, light skin or the like, either for comfort or for hygenic purposes. As compared with conventional footwear, heel 4 has a greater height, i.e., about 7 or 7% points, being the units used in the footwear technique, since it is designed to provide for a stable bearing in conditions wherein the center of gravity of the person is displaced towards the forward portion of the foot since the surgeon must necessarily bend forward towards the operating theater. As will be apparent, the greater height of heel 4 allows the entire heel base of the surgeon to remain in contact with the floor as he or she works in this position. Thus, the human body weighs on heel 4 of the boot and the shank muscles are not under stress.

To allow easy entry of the foot into the boot, while enabling the neck of portion la to tie up the ankle, opening 5 is provided on the inner side of each boot, preferably closed by a zipper or the like. The position of the entrance of opening 5 prevents the neck of portion In from gripping the ankle and causing pressure which could be very dangerous in the operating theater where several operations take place side by side and near wires, cables, hoses and other apparatus which makes it difficult and even dangerous to move around.

Since the boot of the present invention is substantially impermeable, holes 6 are arranged in portions 1 and la to permit direct aeration of the foot. A second series of holds 60, positioned near the insole 8, provide indirect aeration in conjunction with holes 11, which are substantially vertical and provided through the insole 8.

Further means are provided for preventing either side or longitudinal displacement of the foot within the boot, including a particular ribbing of the sole 3 which includes a longitu dinal convex part 7 from the bottom permitting sole 3 of the boot to bear the foot and function like a cradle thus preventing any side displacement of the foot. Insole 8 is preferably made of a flexible material of such a kind that it cannot be drenched with beads of perspiration and which can be molded by a suitable process. Insole 8 is constructed in such a manner as to be able to match all the adjacent parts of the foot in the aforesaid working position; therefore it is provided with a side support 10 positioned at the inner side of the portions of the heel and plantar so that support 10 can stick against the plantar owing to the combined effects of the particular shape of the insole 8 and of the curved shape of the sole 3 in said area. As the surgeon bends his body forward his center of gravity is displaced forward while sliding forward of his foot is prevented since the insole 8 is provided with central projecting portion 9 positioned just before the zone on which the foot sole bears, the projecting portion 9 stopping the forward sliding of the foot, which therefore remains well supported, substained and well centered.

I claim:

1. A boot for use by a surgeon when his body is bent forward over an operating table, comprising:

a. a body portion including means aerating same;

b. a composite sole including an outer sole of an electrically insulating material and provided with a stiffening element longitudinally positioned therein formed by ribbing to present a convex downwardly turned contour and an inner sole provided with projecting portions matching the shape of the foot contained therein at the inner side of the heel and plantar portions and furthermore provided with a cushion-like portion projecting upwardly before the plantar portions preventing forward sliding movement of the foot therein; and

3. A boot as in claim 2, wherein said means aerating the surgeons foot comprises a first plurality of holes located in the inner side thereof and a second plurality of holes positioned adjacent said heel portion, said heel portion being further provided with a plurality of substantially vertically positioned holes. 

1. A boot for use by a surgeon when his body is bent forward over an operating table, comprising: a. a body portion including means aerating same; b. a composite sole including an outer sole of an electrically insulating material and provided with a stiffening element longitudinally positioned therein formed by ribbing to present a convex downwardly turned contour and an inner sole provided with projecting portions matching the shape of the foot contained therein at the inner side of the heel and plantar portions and furthermore provided with a cushion-like portion projecting upwardly before the plantar portions preventing forward sliding movement of the foot therein; and c. a heel portion attached to and electrically insulated from said body portion and spanning a distance generally perpendicular to said sole portion sufficient to support the surgeon''s heel when the surgeon is bent forward.
 2. A boot as in claim 1, said body portion further including an entrance for the foot positioned on the internal side thereof and means closing said entrance.
 3. A boot as in claim 2, wherein said means aerating the surgeon''s foot comprises a first plurality of holes located in the inner side thereof and a second plurality of holes positioned adjacent said heel portion, said heel portion being further provided with a plurality of substantially vertically positioned holes. 